Card retainer



March 20, 1962 Filed Jan. 30, 1961 C. E. SWING CARD RETAINER 3 SheetsSheet 1 CHARLES E SWING INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS March 20, 1962 c. E. SWING 3,025,108

CARD RETAINER Filed Jan. 30, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 CHARLES E. SWING IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,625,168 Patented Mar. 20, 1952 3,026,108 CARD RETAINER Charles E. Swing, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 85,809 9 Claims. (Cl. 271-18) This invention relates to a device for use in arranging business machine cards in a shingled array.

In some data processing operations in which business machine cards are employed, it is desirable to spread the cards in an overlapped or shingled arrangement, so that printed matter along marginal portions of the cards is exposed and can be observed, recorded, or reproduced. A single reproduction from such an array, for example, provides a record of the information on the exposed portions of all the cards in the array, and may be useful for such purposes as preparing payrolls, employee lists, and the like.

Shingling a group of business machine cards can be done by hand, but this is a long, tedious, and often inaccurate and non-uniform operation. Some consideration has been given to the development and use of mechanical shingling devices, since a successful mechanical shingling device would eliminate a great deal of labor and would improve accuracy and efficiency.

One mechanical device that has been proposed, to facilitate shingling of business machine cards, is a shingling plate that is formed on one of its faces with a series of sequential stepped surfaces that fall substantially in spaced parallel planes. The stepped surfaces are separated by shoulders, each of which has a thickness which is not greater than the thickness of a business machine card. These stepped surfaces are adapted to support marginal portions respectively of cards in a fanned-out group of cards, when the cards are butted up against the respective shoulders.

Such a shingling plate is a very useful tool, not only for facilitating the production of singled arrays of cards, but also for supporting them while they are in use. To this end, clamps have been proposed to permit a shingled array that is supported on a shingling plate and clamped thereto, to be handled without any danger of dislodging or shifting the cards, so that the array can be placed on the flat bed of a-copying machine for exposure of a sensitized sheet, to facilitate reproduction of the array.

One object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical device to cooperate with a stepped shingling plate, to mechanize the shingling operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical device for moving a stack of business machine cards over a stepped surface, to distribute the cards in a shingled array thereon, that will provide consistent, uniform and accurate results.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical device of the character described, that will require little or no training of the operator. A related object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described that will produce consistent shingling results regardless of the technique of the operator of the device.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the mechanical device is formed with a frame that is engageable with a stack of cards in such a way as to permit the stack of cards to be moved over a stepped surface, with the lowermost card in the stack disposed for flush, sliding engagement thereover. The device also is formed to permit the application of pressure to the stack of cards, constantly to urge the lowermost card in the stack against the stepped surface during movement of the stack. The device also is formed so that, during movement of the stack of cards, the trailing edge of the stack is engaged to retain the cards in the stack and to move them as a stack, but to permit the lowermost card in the stack to leave the stack when its movement is stopped by engagement against a projecting shoulder in the stepped surface.

To operate the device, it is engaged against a stack of cards, and it is moved, together with the stack of cards, over the stepped surface in a direction to engage the lowermost card in the stack against a shoulder on the stepped surface. When the lowermost card in the stack is abutted against the shoulder, its movement is stopped. It is then released from the stack, and movement of the stack over the stepped surfaces is continued, to abut and then release one card after the other from the lowermost position in the stack, until a shingled array is obtained.

Since one function of the device is to separate the card in the lowermost position in the stack from the remaining cards in the stack, at the proper time, the device is referred to hereafter as a card separator.

The details of the structure and operation of several typical mechanical devices, that are constructed in accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the invention, respectively, can better be understood from the drawings and descriptions thereof that follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a shingling device that includes a mechanical card separator that is constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention, showing the card separator at one position in its movement over a shingling plate, in the process of shingiing a stack of cards, and showing several shingled cards arrayed on the shingling plate, the shingling plate being partly broken away to expose a part of the base;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 in a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGRUE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a partly exploded, fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the follower above the well of the separator, better to illustrate the structure;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevation view partly in section showing a card separator constructed in accordance with a modified embodiment of the invention, and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevation view partly in section of a card separator constructed in accordance with another modified embodiment of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings by numerals of reference, 10 denotes a base on which a shingling plate 11 is mounted. A card separator 12 is mounted for sliding movement relative to the shingling plate 11 and the base 10, over the face of the shingling plate, to distribute cards in a shingled array on the shingling plate. The structure of the several respective parts will now be described in sufficient detail to make their respective structures, purposes and functions clear, and to permit thereafter a descn'ption of their cooperative action and use.

The base 10 is formed with a fiat upper face 14 and 3 with a pair of upwardly projecting guide rails 16, 17, that extend longitudinally ofthe base along the opposite sides of the fiat face 14.

The shingling plate 11 is formed with a flat lower face 18 that is engaged against the flat face 14 of the base. The shingling plate 11 is formed so that its lateral edges are juxtaposed the confronting faces of the rails 16, 17. The base is also formed with other means (not shown) that cooperate with the shingling plate to hold the shingling plate on the base against displacement thereon during its use, but in such a way as to permit removal of the shingling plate if desired.

The shingling plate 11 is formed on its upper face with a longitudinally extending card support area 21 and With generally fiat, coplanar surface areas 22, 24 at the lateral sides of the card, support area respectively. The shingling plate is formed in the card support area 21 with a plurality of uniformly sized, transversely extending inclined surfaces 26, that fall respectively in spaced parallel planes. These surfaces 26 are separated by shoulders 23 that extend upwardly from the level of the plane of the surfaces 22, 24, perpendicular to these surfaces, to an elevation that is not greater than the thickness of one business machine card. Each of the stepped surfaces 26 is fiat and is inclined upwardly from the level of the plane of the surfaces 22, 24, at the lower end of one shoulder 28, to the upper end of the next shoulder.

The card separator 12 is formed with an open frame to provide a well within which a stack of cards can be seated. The frame has four principal parts, including a leading member 31, a trailing member 32, and a pair of side bars 34, 36 that secure together the members 31, '32.

The member 31 is formed at its leading edge with a downwardly depending skirt 37. This skirt is formed with a centrally located recess 38, to permit the separator to be drawn over a retainer (not shown) at the lower end of the base that detachably secures the shingling plate on the base. The skirt 37 is also formed with a pair of down wardly depending legs 41, 42 respectively, that are disposed at opposite transverse sidm of the skirt. These legs are formed with bent-under, trailing extensions 44, 46, respectively, to provide skid surfaces that engage against the flat surface areas 22, 24 of the shingling plate respectively, for sliding movement thereover, and to support the separator 12 at its leading end. The legs 41, 42, and the skirt 37, are proportioned so that the lower edge of the skirt is always clear of the projecting shoulders 28 of the card support area of the shingling plate.

The member 31 is formed at its trailing end with another downwardly depending skirt 48, whoe lower end is also clear of the projecting shoulders 28 of the shingling plate. A knob 51 is secured adjacent the leading end of the member 31 by a fastener 52, to permit the separator to be grasped and moved.

The trailing member 32 of the separator has a generally rectangular cross section, but it is formed at its leading lowermost edge with a rounded downward extension or bar 54 (FIGURES 4 and whose transverse extent corresponds to that of the card support area 21 of the shingling plate. The bar 54 is disposed so that when the separator is in use for shingling cards, it occupies a position directly above the card support area 21 of the shingling plate, as shown in FIGURE 5.

The side bars '34, 36 are angular in section. Thus, the side bar 34 has a horizontally extending web member 56 (FIGURE 5) that is integral with a vertically extending web member 58. The other side bar 36 has corresponding web portions 56, 58 respectively. The horizontally extending Web portions 56, 56' of the two side bars, are disposed so that, as can be seen in FIGURE 5 on an exaggerated'scale, they are clear of the upper surfaces of the. rails 16, 17, on the base. However, the vertically extending web portions 58, 58 of the two side bars are disposed to seat closely adjacent the confronting vertical surfaces of the rails 16, 17 of the base respectively, for sliding engagement therewith to guide movement of the card separator 12 during its operation.

The follower 62 is formed with a flat, transversely extending web portion 64 that is formed with a pair of transversely extending depressed ribs 66, 67. A tab 63 is struck upwardly from the Web 64 to provide means for grasping the follower. This also provides a window 71 to expose to view a portion of a card beneath the follower. The follower 62 is formed, at its lateral sides, with upstanding arms 72, 74 respectively, that are disposed for freely sliding engagement with the confronting internal surfaces of the web portions 58, 58 of the separator frame. These arms 72, 74, are formed respectively with integral, outwardly extending Wing-s 76, 77.

To use the device of the present invention, to arrange and hold a stack of business machine cards in a shingled array, the shingling plate 11 is assembled on a base 10. The separator 12 is then placed on the shingling plate 11 at its upper end, and is seated properly between the side rails 16, 17 of the base. The follower 62 is then removed from the separator, and a stack of cards is placed in the well of the separator, so that the lowermost card rests directly on the shingling plate, in face to face, substantially flush engagement. The follower 62 is then replaced in the well, upon the stack of cards.

The knob 51 is then grasped, and the separator is drawn over the face of the shingling plate. As the separator 12 is moved, the trailing edge of the stack of cards engages against the leading face of the frame member 32 of the separator, which pushes the stack over the face of the shingling plate. The weight of the follower 62 exerts a pressure on the stack of cards, constantly to urge the lowermost card against the separator plate. The lowermost card in the stack slides over the separator plate until its leading edge butts up against one of the upstanding shoulders 28. This stops further movement of the lower= most card, and as the movement of the separator is con tinued, the stepped card is acted on by forces that cause it to slide under the round lower face of the bar 54, so that it leaves the stack of cards.

As the movement of the separator is continued, one card after another drops into the lowermost position, engages against one of the shoulders 28, and is forced under the separator bar 54, out of the separator and out of the stack of cards, onto the surface of the shingling plate, to form a shingled array. As the cards leave the stack, the follower 86 settles by gravity and continuously exerts pres sure upon the stack of cards.

When a card has been abutted against each of the shoulders 28 of the shingling plate, both the separator 12 and the follower 62 are removed together. The wings 76, 77 of the follower engage the separator side bars, so that the follower is lifted away with the other part of the separator. Any excess cards remaining are then removed.

This leaves a shingled array of cards on the upper face of the shingling plate. Each card has its lower edge butted up against a shoulder 28 and has a lower central marginal portion thereof supported on one of the inclined. surfaces 26. A marginal portion at the upper end of each card, that corresponds in longitudinal extent to the longitudinal extent of one of the inclined surfaces 26, is exposed in the shingled array. The confronting inner surfaces of the rails 16, 17 serve to limit lateral displacement of the cards in the array and facilitate its handling.

The shingled array of cards on the shingling plate, removed from the base if necessary, can be reproduced in any convenient manner to record the information that is displayed on the exposed upper marginal portions of the shingled cards. For example, the assembly can be placed in the fiat-bed exposure unit of a document copying machine and reproduced'in a conventional manner.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention that is illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5, the card support area 21 of the shingling plate and the separator bar 54 have a substantially smaller transverse extent; than the,

cards themselves; and the inclined surfaces 26 are elevated above the plane of the flat areas 22, 24 of the shingling plate; and the follower 62 exerts a continuous pressure upon the cards. This arrangement permits the sides of the cards that extend outwardly over the fiat areas 22, 24 to droop downwardly, and this promotes the shingling action by insuring that each card in the lowermost position in the stack engages against the appropriate shoulder 28 as the stack of cards is moved over the shingling plate. A shingling device having these features therefore is preferred to a shingling device in which the shingling plate is formed with stepped surfaces that extend across its entire width, since with the preferred construction that is illustrated, a card with a bent-up corner will not skim over the shoulders.

However, it is within the contemplation of the invention that the shingling device can be one in which the card separator is supported otherwise than by means that slide over portions of the face of the shingling plate. For example, it is within the contemplation of this invention to modify the shingling device that is illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5 so that the separator is supported at its leading end from the side rails of the base, rather than from flat marginal portions of the shingling plate itself. This would be advantageous where, for example, the shingling plate had steps extending across its full width.

The card separator that is illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5 has the advantage that its action is accurate, consistent, and uniform, and is substantially independent of operator technique. Moreover, its action and mode of operation are relatively simple, and a minimum amount of training is required for eificient operation.

Its card separating action involves a successful balancing of the forces on the lowermost card in the stack. When the leading edge of the lowermost card engages against a shoulder, the separator frame continues to urge the card forward. At the same time, the card is pressed down by the other cards and by the follower. The weight of the frame presses down on the separator bar 54 and resists the upward displacement of the bar by an escaping card. The shape of the bar 54, and the smoothness of its finish, are also important. These factors are considered and balanced in making an effective separator in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention. Good separating action can be obtained, however, by other structures that perform in substantially the same way, as will be described in connection with the embodiments of the invention that are illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7.

The embodiment of the invention that is illustrated in FIGURE 6 requires somewhat greater dexterity for use than the preferred embodiment of the invention previously described.

Referring now to FIGURE 6 in detail by numerals of reference, the modified separator 12' has a frame that is formed from sheet metal and that generally is in the form of an inverted U, and that comprises an upper web 81 that is formed at its leading edge with a downwardly depending front skirt 82 and at its trailing edge with a downwardly depending rear skirt 84. The front skirt 82 i bent under at its lower end to provide a rearwardly extending foot 86. A pair of leaf springs 87, only one of which is visible in FIGURE 6, is secured to the foot 86 at its lateral sides respectively. These springs 87 are disposed with their free ends extending back beneath the web 81. They are formed with downwardly curved portions 88, to engage and apply pressure to the uppermost card in the stack adjacent the rear skirt 84.

A continuous, transversely extending, resilient and flexible strip 89 is mounted to depend downwardly from the rear skirt 84, and is sandwiched at its upper end between the rear skirt 84 and a rigid mounting plate 90 that is riveted or otherwise secured to the rear skirt. This strip may be formed from a sheet of an elastomeric material such as rubber or a synthetic resinous material, or from any other physically suitable material.

A tab 91 is struck out of the central portion of the web 81 and is bent upwardly to provide convenient means for grasping and manipulating the separator. A sheet metal side guide is provided to engage the side rail, such as 17 of base 11 to facilitate guiding of the separator during shingling movement.

In using this modified separator 12', a stack of cards that is to be shingled is placed at the upper end of the shingling plate. The separator 12 is then engaged against the stack by bringing the plastic strip 89 into engagement against the rear edge of the stack, engaging the foot 86 on top of the stack near its front edge, and applying sufiicient downward pressure as necessary to overcome the resistance of the spring 87, until the plastic strip 89 engages against the rear edge of the lowermost card in the stack and, preferably against the face of the shingling plate itself.

Simultaneously, downward pressure on the separator 12' is maintained to press the cards against the face of the shingling plate; any lateral pressure that is necessary is applied to engage a side rail for guiding; and pressure is applied to cause the separator 12 and the stack of cards to advance over the stepped plate. The resilient plastic strip 89 retains the cards in the stack but permits the cards to be dispensed, one at a time, from the lowermost position, as they successively engage against shoulders on the shingling plate.

This embodiment of the invention has the advantage of simplicity in construction and it is inexpensive to manufacture, small in size, and light in Weight.

In the embodiment of the invention that is illustrated in FIGURE 7, the separator 12" is extremely simplified in design. It consists of a flat piece 94 of sheet metal that is formed with a turned-up lip 96 at its leading edge and that has an elongate sheet metal side guide 97 secured along one lateral side thereof. An arcuate block 98 is secured to its upper surface adjacent its leading edge to provide means by which it can be grasped.

To use this separator, it is placed upon a stack of cards at the upper end of the shingling plate with the guide 97 positioned to engage a side rail or other guide means during its movement. The block 98 is then grasped between the thumb and one finger by the operator, and one or more other fingers are extended beyond the trailing edge of the separator to engage the rear edge of the stack of cards. Light pressure is then applied to press the cards against the shingling plate, to press the guide 97 against the side rail to guide the separator in its movement, and pressure is applied to advance the cards over the shingling plate. The finger or fingers that are extended beyond the trailing edge of the separator are relied upon to separate the cards so that one card at a time is dispensed onto the shingling plate.

While this embodiment of the invention is characterized by extreme simplicity, dexterity is required for successful shingling, and operator training is necessary since the results that are obtained are highly dependent on operator technique.

While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having now particularly described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States and what I claim is:

1. A mechanical device for arranging a stack of cards in a shingled array on a stepped surface comprising means for engaging the stack to move the same over said stepped surface and means for urging the lowermost card in the stack against said stepped surface during such movement of the stack.

2. A mechanical device in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising'means for guiding said stack in a predetermined path during such movement. 7

3. A mechanical device for arranging a stack of cards in a shingled array on a member having a surface provided with a series of spaced projecting shoulders, comprising means for engaging the stack to move the same over said surface, means for urging the lowermost card in the stack against said surface during movement of the stack, and means for retaining all but the then lowermost card in said stack when such lowermost card abuts one of said shoulders during such movement of the stack.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3 and further comprising means for guiding said stack in a predetermined path during such movement.

5. A mechanical device in accordance with claim 3 and wherein said stack engaging means comprises a frame which substantially surrounds the side portions of the stack so that the cards of the stack may move as a unit and wherein said retaining means comprises an element of said frame which engages the trailing edge of the stack to resist movement of all but the lowermost card from the stack upon engagement of such lowermost card against one of said shoulders.

6. A mechanical device in accordance with claim 5 and further comprising means cooperating with said memher to guide said frame during movement of said device and stack of cards over said surface.

7. A mechanical device in accordance with claim 5 and wherein said element depends beneath the rest of the frame to support said frame on the member above the shingled cards thereon, said element having a smooth finish and a rounded lower portion to facilitate movement of said lowermost card under said frame upon engagement of such lowermost card against one of said shoulders. V

8. A mechanical device in accordance with claim 7 and further comprising means cooperating with said memher to guide said frame during movement thereof on said surface along a predetermined path.

9. A mechanical device for arranging a stack of cards in a shingled array on a member having a surface provided with a series of regularly spaced projecting shoulders for abutting respectively the cards in the stack, comprising a frame mounted for movement over said surface and having an open well to receive a stack of cards therein, said frame having an element for engaging the trailing edge of the stack during such movement, which element depends beneath the rest of the frame to support the same in said member and has a smooth finish and a rounded lower portion to facilitate movement of the lowermost card in the stack from said frame when such lowermost card engages against a shoulder during movement of said frame, and a weighted follower in said well for resting on said stack to constantly urge such lowermost card in the stack against said surface of said memher.

No references cited.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,026,108 March 20 1962 Charles E. Swing It is hereby certified that error appears in the above nu mbered patant requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 7, line 24 strike out "may".

Signed and sealed this 17th day of July 1962.

SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID LADD Atteating Officer Commissioner of Patents 

